As a prepper or survivalist, you’re definitely going to need to build skills that most other people do not have. You’ll need to learn self-defense, firearm handling, camping, and many other skills. One of the most important skills you need is first aid knowledge.
First aid is more than just applying a band aid on a small cut or washing a scraped knee in running water. Important first aid skills may mean the difference between life and death.
In this article, we’ll look at 5 first aid skills every prepper should learn. They’re vitally important. You may wish to find a place close to you that offers first aid training classes conducted by professionals. You may even choose to get certified… but for now, let’s look at the 5 skills.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
This is probably the most famous first aid technique in the world. You’ve seen it a hundred times in the movies when someone is on the verge of death and the hero breathes into their mouth and pumps their chest a few times till they cough and come back to life.
The question is… Do you know how to do it? There is a technique involved. You’ll have to clear their airway first. You need to know the timing, where to place your hands on the chest, and how to press. You’ll need to know how to seal their mouth and blow air into their lungs.
That’s a lot of info to process and that’s why it’s best to learn it from a trained professional. CPR is a life-saving skill that you absolutely must know.
Stopping Heavy Bleeding
You need to know how to apply direct pressure on wounds till they clot. If you have a product like QuikClot Sport, it will be very helpful. Depending on what type of bleeding you’re seeing, you’ll need to respond accordingly.
If you see blood coming out in spurts, it’s arterial bleeding and you really need to apply hard, continuous pressure on the wound to get the blood to clot. It may take a while.
Dressing Wounds
Stopping the bleeding is not enough. You need to know how to clean the wound with sterile water and dress it with gauze and adhesive tape too. The goal is to keep the injured area clean and dry so that it can heal.
The Heimlich Maneuver
The Heimlich Maneuver is extremely useful if someone is choking on food. You’ll need to grab them from behind just below the ribcage, ball one of your fists up, and pull your arms towards you in an upwards motion. This will force air up the esophagus and pop out whatever food or item that’s blocking the airway.
Treating Hypothermia
During a crisis, someone can get hypothermia from being wet and cold for a long period of time (or a short period, if it’s especially cold). This can happen in the case of a flood, or if you’re bugging out and the climate is cold, and you have insufficient clothes to keep warm. While prevention is the best measure, should hypothermia set in, you need to know what to do.
You need to get the person as dry as possible and move them to a warmer area where they can slowly get used to the warmth. Do NOT make them take a hot shower. If the hypothermia is bad, do not move the patient. Try and warm them where they are.
These 5 skills will be very useful when someone is hurt or in a life-threatening situation. Learn them well, and you’ll have the confidence to handle a medical emergency should one arise.